Starter for engines.



M. H. OLSEN.

STARTER FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.3,1916.

1 1 96,390. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

V, ZhZ/i? for" Y Mm @w/wmfiMM/ 4 4/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN H. OLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 VINCENT BENDIX, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STARTER FOR ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 3, 1916. Serial No. 69,971.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN H. OLSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the starter for a gas engine of the type known as the Bendix drive as exemplified in Bendix Patent, No. 1,146,992, dated July 20, 1915.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efiicient means, as a substitute for the weighting of the driving pinion of the Bendix drive for assuring the longitudinal movement of such pinion along the screw shaft, but permitting the rotarialmovement in unison with the screw shaft during engagement of the pinion with a member of the engine to be started, such as the fly-wheel thereof.

Speaking in general terms, my starter comprises a motor of any type, such as an electric motor, capable of driving a rotatable member, such as a screw shaft on which is screw-threaded a driving member such as a pinion adapted to engage or mesh either directly or indirectly with a rotatable member of the engine, such as the fly-wheel, especially where it is desired to have direct connection between the pinion and the engine. Thepinion is adapted to travel longitudinally of the shaft whenever the electric motor is operated with the result that the pinion is automatically advanced into operative relationship with the fly-wheel, and for automatic withdrawal therefrom whenever the engne is started on its own power.

The gist of the present invention consists in providing the pinion with a movable projecting member which normally restrains any possible rotarial movement of the pinion upon the shaft until the pinion is in operative relationship with the fly-wheel, or other engine member, with the result that the longitudinal travel of the pinion at the proper time is always assured.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a starter illustrative of one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 a top plan view of the main part shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a section on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4L a detailed view of the pinion anda portion of the fly-wheel. Figs. 5 and 6, sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating two modified forms of construction.

Referring to the embodiment of my in vention as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the motor 1 is an electric motor, and is shown as directly driving the screw-shaft 2. This shaft, being direct driven, is by preference the extended armature shaft of the electric motor, and is preferably provided with an outboard bearing 3, having a bushing 4, whose inner flanged end 4'' forms the stop for the outward travel of the pinion.

The driving member between the screwshaft and the engine member, such as the fly-wheel 5, is here in the form of a pinion 6, screw-threaded upon the shaft 2 and therefore capable of longitudinal movement thereon, as well as rotarial movement therewith, and also capable of meshing-with the gear teeth 5 of the fly-wheel. I

A bracket 7 is secured to the end of the motor casing in a suitable manner, as by means of bolts 8, and provided with a central opening through which the screw-shaft 2 projects. Within this opening is arranged a ring 9, having on its outer face ratchet teeth 9*. This ring has on its inner side a circumferential flange 9", which is adapted to engage a shoulder 7 in the central opening of the bracket and thereby be retained therein. A retaining ring 10 screws into the inner end of said central opening for the purpose of retaining therein a spring 11 which bears at one end against the ring 10 and at the other end against the ratchet ring 9, with the result that'the latter ring is held projected from the bracket as far as permitted by its engagement with the shoul- The pinion 6 is provided with a. comparatively large longitudinal bore 6, descending nearly its entire length, and with a smaller angular bore 6 adapted to accommodate plunger 12 and its spring 13. This plunger at its forward end is angular in cross section to fit the bore6 whereby it is prevented fr m r tation, but permitted to-movelongiwith the ratchet teeth.

tudinally. The inner end of this plunger is preferably enlarged and fashioned at its extreme inner end into a ratchet tooth, adapted to cooperate with the ratchet teeth 9 of the ring 9. The purpose of the angular formation of the plunger 12 and its bore 6* is to keep the tooth 12 in its propef' position for engagement with said ratchet teeth.

The spring 13, which isg'contained within the bore 6 normally holds the plunger 12 inwardly into a position of 12, the said longitudinal movement {of the pinion is assured until it comes into mesh with the fiy-wheel teeth 5. As the pinion .travels to the left along the screw-shaft, the

plunger will remain in contact with the ring 9 until the'front side of the pinion contacts the head 12 of the plunger and thereby causes such plunger to move bodily with it and out of engagement with the ring 9. At this time the pinion is just coming int-o mesh with the fly-wheel, and will continue its longitudinal travel until it contacts the stop P, whereupon it will rotate in unison with the screw-shaft and thereby drive the engine fly-wheel. When the engine has started on its own power the excess rate of rotation of such wheel will cause the pinion to be automatically withdrawn from mesh, and to be moved longitudinally along the screw-shaft to a normal position.

As it nears such position, the projected end 1 or tooth 12 of the plunger will engage the ratchet teeth of the ring 9, and as even after the" meshing, the pinion tends to rotate as the screw-shaft is slowing down, such tooth, after its engagement with the ratchet ring, will rotate the latter, and the contact of such tooth will be cushioned by the spring 11, which permits a slight inward movement of the ring within the bracket. The pinion has now returned to its normal position shown in Fig. 1, ready for the next operation.

I In Fig. 5 T have shown a modified form of construction in which the ring 9, instead of being fully rotatable, has a partial rotation in their direction against the tension 4 of springs. As shown, this ring is provided wlth a projectmg arm 9, projecting through an opening or slot 7 in the bracket and.

movable in their direction against the tension of the springs 14, hearing. respectively agamst the arm 9 and stationary arms 15 engagement extending from the bracket. The ratchet ring in this case thus has a partial rotation agamst the tension of springs, and is kept in a normal position by the employment of the two "springs shown.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another modification according to which the ratchet ring is provided with a depending weight 16, Whose stem 17 projects through the opening or slot 7*, such as is also shown in Fig. 5. This ring, as in the case 'of the ring shown in Fig. 5, has a limited oscillation and is held in a normal position by the weight.

I claim:

1. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member, and a member engaged by such plunger during longitudinal movement of such driving member.

2. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a yielding plunger carried by the driving member, and a member engaged by such plunger during longitudinal movement of such driving member.

ment in unison therewith, and a member engaged by such plunger during longitudinal movement of the-driving member.

4. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means forassuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger, said member having a longitudinal bore to receive the plunger, a spring within the bore to normally hold the plunger projected, and a member engaged by such plunger during longitudinal movement'of the driving member.

5. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member'mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a yielding member adapted to be engaged by said plunger.

6. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a rotarial yielding member adapted to be engaged by said plunger.

7. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longit idinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a member adapted to be engaged by said plunger and yieldable in a direction longitudinal of the plunger.

8. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and

means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a member adapted to be engaged by said plunger and yieldable both longltudinal of the plunger and rotarily.

9. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving means mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, a rotatable member adapted to be engaged by said plunger, and means for applying gictional resistance to said rotatable memtatable shaft, a driving means mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a resistance member mounted for lateral bodily movement and for rotarial movement, and means for applying resistance against such movements.

11. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving means mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a resistance member mounted for lateral bodily movement and a spring bearing against the resistance member.

12. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a yielding ring adapted to be engaged by the plunger.

13. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the 10. A starter for engines comprising a rodriving member and projecting therefrom, a support, a ring mounted therein to yield rotarily and adapted to be engaged by the plunger.

14. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal move ment comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, a support, a ring mounted therein to yield rotarily and also bodily in a lateral direction and adapted to be engaged by the plunger.

15. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and

means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, a support, a ring mounted therein for rotary and also bodily movement in a lateral direction, and adapted to be engaged by the plunger, and a spring bearing against the ring to afford resistance to both its move ments.

16. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, a bracket having a central opening for the shaft, a ring surrounding the shaft and mounted in said opening for rotarial move ment and also bodily movement laterally, said ring being adapted to be engaged by the plunger.

17 A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, a bracket having a central opening for the shaft, a ring surrounding the shaft and mounted in said opening for rotarial movement and also bodily movement laterally, said ring being adapted to be engaged by the plunger, and a spring arranged in said opening and bearing against the ring.

18. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for .assuring said longitudinal movement, comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom, and a yielding ring having ratchet teeth engaged by the plunger.

19. A starter forengines comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereon, and means for assuring said longitudinal movement comprising a plunger carried by the driving member and projecting therefrom,

ment comprising a plunger carried by the moenoo driving member and having at one end a 1'0 ratchet tooth, and a yielding ring having on one face ratchet teeth engaged by said tooth of the plunger.

MARTIN H. OLSEN. Witnesses:

ROBERT DoBBERMAN, FmELIs MAIoHnN. 

